Living Musically – Heart-Pounding Edition

A: My beautiful romance with my iPod got off to a rocky start this week – or rather, an icy start. On Monday, it was literally too cold for it to work in the car. So instead, I listened to the blast of the heater as it brought the ambient temperature to a barely tolerable 30° F. Of course, on Tuesday, when it was actually colder (-10° F instead of -8° F), it worked just fine. And people wonder why I claim my electronic equipment develops minds of its own with the sole purpose of Gaslighting me.

D: Actually, I don’ t wonder.

A: If you were corporeal, I’d say you were the one doing it.

D: I would be, but alas . . .

A: And yet another argument for thought developing form. . . May I continue with Tuesday?

D: Be my guest.

A: Why thank you. With Tuesday came the whispering of sweet nothings via instrumental – a wooing tactic the iPod used to its advantage all week. It started with The Minstrel Boy, as done by The Corrs. It’s another song I didn’t recall owning, ever. Of course, it should not have surprised me: Irish national music and I have a love affair that goes back . . . well, sixteen years. Our passion (political) faded within the first five, but with distance and understanding, we’ve come to a good, occasionally heart-stirring, place.

Then, The Song of the Lonely Mountain came on.

D: Oh, by the gods – not this one, again.

A: Hush. You love it. I know you do. It wins by default, by the way—

D: Of course it does.

A: Oi! I’ll have you know I didn’t like this song when I first heard it, and I’m still not as fond of the movie version as I am of the one found on the Extended Edition soundtrack.

D: So you’re two-timing The Song of the Lonely Mountain? You hussy.

A: No – it’s more like if one were dating one in a pair of twins. They’re identical-ish, but you just like one over the other (and hopefully can tell them apart, because those hijinks and shenanigans could be dangerous. Fun, but dangerous).

D: You are hopeless.

A: I know. But I’m single, so I’m totally allowed.

D: I’m not sure your logic—

A: My blog, my logic – work with me here, Druid. Anyway, Lonely Mountain won me over, starting at 1:08 into the song.

Wednesday was unremarkable. I think I had a Jamie Lidell and a Paolo Nutini to make me smile, but by Thursday, the iPod started to get a little fresh. It put on Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana

. . . and Take it Off, by the Genteels.

D: Oh boy.

A: I know, right? Frisky monks and just plain old friskiness. So, I had a lot of reasons to smile this week. And then Friday rolled around.

D: Let me guess: it was a disaster.

A: If by disaster you mean the most perfect Valentine’s playlist that an iPod randomizing 2k songs could produce, then yes, a fabulous, wonderful, I smiled the entire way into work and not just when I have the freeway to myself to go as fast as I please, disaster.

D: You could have just said ‘no, it wasn’t a disaster, D.’

A: Well, that’s no fun. So here it is, the winning day:

1. Crying, Bjork

2. Careless Love, Harry Connick, Jr. . . for which I couldn’t find a YouTube video – so here is Ray Charles singing it.

Note: It wasn’t until Harry came on that I started to grin – the first one could have been a one-off, right? But with Careless Love, I started thinking, well, this is a good Valentine’s mix – not romantic, but certainly fun for the staunchly single.

3. Not Too Late, Norah Jones

4. Moon River, Audry Hepburn

Beautiful and bittersweet – right up my alley. And then, Eddie Izzard came on, waxing lyrical about the word “Bastard.” Be still my heart.

5. Bastards and Makeup

6. Shoot the Moon, Norah Jones

7. I Think I Love You, Partridge Family

By this time, I’m nearly at work. A traffic light is out, cars are backed up but I’m grinning like a loon because a) I like this song and b) I’m seeing a trend, and I love it.

8. Sea of Time, Beatles

A: That one was for you, D

D: Yeah, sure it was. 

A: And finally. . . 

9. #1 Crush, Garbage

Yes, folks, the iPod really does love me. Of course, it died right after #1 Crush – is being restored as I type – but it was worth it. It died for love.

D: Song of the Lonely Mountain still wins though, right?

A: Oh yeah. By a mile.

D: (Eye roll) Hopeless.

A: Yup! Good night folks – may you find love where you least expect it, and in the smallest of things! Happy Valentine’s Day.